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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Days filled with Dreams, Mountains of Ideas, The Fits of Creative Hoopla,

and The Privilege....

of creating.

I am one of the lucky ones. In a period of life, where I can get a second chance to change the world on yet a different platform. It doesn't happen like this usually, so I am indeed....lucky.

I have been blessed to discover others with this sense of passion that believe the same about art. We may sometimes find ourselves walking on different paths to get to a similar place, but that's quite OK. Some walk quietly while others beat a drum.....some work hard to earn a living at art, and some create in their precious moments in between family, school or other jobs, but either way, it is with that same amount of passion. Like a flower, starting from a seed, however long ago planted, and now must take the time and make the room to grow. Yes, I said, "must." There is a sense of urgency, but at the same time a sense of wonder and calm as art transforms us and gives us the strength to bloom as we reach life goals.

Most of the people that I have met, both artists and students, are the kindest, smartest, bravest, hardest working, and definitely most creative people - ever. I never imagined, and now am honored to be among...

Simply Pretty Stuff began in 2007, with a click of a button to get that business name and the necessary tax ID. Gulp.

Family and friends have been nothing less than supportive and encouraging from those early days forward. It was a bit overwhelming with all that needed to accomplished, and all of it seemed to be needed to be done all at once! To make some kind of difference in the world, using art now as my venue, I had to exist beyond craft or hobby; I had to invent, create, and prototype, so that I could teach and help others realize their own potential in the creative process. Well, mostly I had to, at some point, get out of my basement! I worked three years there before finally getting a dedicated work area of my own. Time flew.

In my opinion, sometimes creating or buying art heals, sometimes being in a room with creative people with like minds heals, sometimes just working with your hands and making something out of nothing heals, and for me, the healing part of the equation is key. The healing is about writing, teaching, helping, and it is about the sharing.

On any night, you may finding me inventing or reinventing in the studio when the neighborhood is asleep. Its summer now, so the spiders cover the screen door to my space. I don't mind them.......from a distance. About midnight, they are hard to dodge so it is not a pretty sight when I have to get back out that door. ick.

I tell you this because many of my art brothers and sisters are also up creating during the wee hours. The mind is always asking "what if?" so we keep on going. Resin needs poured, hinges need reworked, clay needs shaped, metal needs soldered, and wait.....the kiln needs to cool! It is somewhat comforting to know that during that time, if needed, you can FB or call a friend who is not sound asleep like the rest of the world. Just knowing that makes me smile. Okay, and knowing others may think this a bit too crazy, also makes me smile. Not so crazy for me I guess, if you actually know me. Back in the day, my preferred clinical shift was always 2-12 AM, when I was most energized and efficient. Some things don't change.

Eight years have passed and lots has been published, much has been taught, friends have bonded. I have never worked so hard and loved every minute. However, the path is forking again and I see some new ideas ahead. I have a sense of urgency this time to gather all the threads of these two "helping" worlds and bring things a bit forward. It is time to concentrate on that business aspect of the path as well. Some changes are ahead and I am challenged and inspired to do so. I had just read a friend's post today, which made me think a bit and then respond.......

"to know what calms or inspires us is like having a superpower that not all folks have or can manage"

Reach out your hand, in whatever walk of life, past or present, and help others find their superpower, so that they can know calm or be inspired. Mixed Media has helped me find my superpower so that I can bring some calm and make a bit of difference in someone else's world.

If you'd like to see the mixed media art that inspired me to write and teach, here is a sample of what I have worked on to create, mostly in the last 4 years. It is not all of it, but enough of it to look at without putting you to sleep. Now get a bit of your art on! xo

My original re-do box tutorial, done a blog post ago, used an old jewelry box and a vintage image of my grandmother's wedding day. I repainted and waxed that piece using the Annie Sloan Chalk paints from my stockist friend, Debbie Gemmel, who carries the line at Five and Divine in Fairfield, PA. I just loved how the colors and adding the image completely changed the piece into heirloom couture. Below is the finished box along with an image of the collection of unpainted, and in need of repair, boxes.

The base paint is "old Violet" with a second coat of a water application of "French Linen" A final clear wax coat gives the piece a nice sheen and a protective coating. The image is one from my Grandma Rose's wedding day, which I edited in Photoshop, placed in the space, and topped with Amazing Casting Transparent Resin.

Revamping these requires a little bit of cleaning and elbow grease, but the results were impressive. The piece seen below is a little treasure chest with a gold inlay resting beneath the image. It is my art girl box and it makes me smile.

I enjoy these jewelry box remakes so much so that I feel they would be a fun class to teach. I welcome your input..... and perhaps we can work on some special family boxes so that you can have as your very own too! xo

Friday, May 29, 2015

Two
generations ago she blushed and said "I Do" to the man of her dreams.
Barely a woman herself, she became a most loved and cherished mother,
having 4 children, each the apple of her eye. This was my gramma Rose.

I
loved hearing the stories about my Rose's life. Her determination,
love of family, savvy, and in later years, her strength and constitution, utterly amazed me. Yes, I love the stories because I was such a
little girl when she died. I never really knew her, so I cherish and preserve what I do know and have learned about her.Fast
forward to this vintage picture. It is Rose's wedding day. I decided to incorporate it into my ACP project. Every time I put a piece of jewelry in, or take
one out, I will see her picture and it will make me smile.

Here are the steps for making the picture:1. Select a favorite vintage picture and size or crop to fit niche in wood.2. Make a laser printer, toner, transparency3. Decorative trim cut, if desired. ( Mine is straight edged)

Here are the steps for the box:1. Reclaim an old wooden jewelry box with some type of depression or mirror. (Apologies for not getting a "before" picture)2. Remove the mirror carefully ( if still in place)2. Clean wood with soapy water.3. Slightly sand wood4.
Use Annie Sloan chalk paint in choice of color. My color is French
Linen. (I use the Annie Sloan brand because coverage is better than
other paints and it adheres without priming)5. Once
this solid coat of paint is dry, choose another color of paint thinned
with water, to create a wash. (I used 3 parts water to 1 part paint in
Old Violet)

6. Quickly brush on and pat dry with cheesecloth.7. When dry, use a bit of clear Elmer's glue to the back edges of the picture transparency.8. Smooth picture onto wood9. Outline the picture in the clear glue to seal any cracks around the inner edge of the wood, where resin could seep out.

13. Allow to dry for 24 hours.14. Adding decorative knobs is optional.I liked how this yard sale box was the perfect stage for these vintage photos of my grandmother. With a little chalk paint and Amazing Casting Resin, a memory is preserved.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Lynne Suprock here and I am so
excited to share a little inspiration with you once again! This one
comes from a long standing love of rocks and geodes.

When our son was
small, my husband and I began a collection of rocks and minerals that we
found around the yard, at the beach, or after an excursion to the gem
and mineral show in our local area. We named and displayed our finds,
but as time passed, moves happened and our child grew up. The rocks
were packed away.

Every once in awhile though, I Would find myself at
the beach, or at an art show ... Collecting once again. However, now
The prize evolved into a few sparkly Druzy stones, which I adore. :-)

After
having opportunity to experiment with Amazing Crafting Products, it
donned on me to replicate the shapes of some of these stones with
Amazing Mold Putty and recreate my own colors and shimmer with the ever
truly amazing casting resin! A bit of glitter or Alumidust in the mold,
and voila ...Semi precious stones and Druzies take form!

I used the Dremel to make the holes for findings and attached some of the stones to pieces of copper.

I
am Excited and pleased to share these project how-to's in both this
Spring issue of

Hello sunshines! I am anticipating dozens of brightly colored zinnia blooms from
my garden this summer. My seed packets
have been waiting all winter to be planted, and it’s almost time. Before the flower cutting begins, I decided
to make a few special vases in which to soon put them.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

I love cameos. I have a few nice pieces and some artsy things, all in the cameo theme. Around the holidays and for special gatherings, its fun to make your own tags for those special gifts. In keeping with the cameo theme, why not use some Amazing Casting Products to create several fun little tags? Here are two from an Amazing Mold Putty mold of a plaque I had purchased.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Today I would like to share a fun tutorial using Amazing Mold Putty to create Cameo wall hangings out of Plaster of Paris. It is my tutorial this month as a member of 2015 The Amazing Casting Products Design Team.

You will need:

An item you would like to mold for a wall hanging. I selected vintage plaques that I found at a flea market.

My plaques have quite a bit of chipped, peeling paint going on. This will add to the distressed look that I am after when the mold putty conforms to the chipped texture of the pieces.

Amazing Mold Putty comes in Part A and Part B. Mix equal amounts of each into one ball of uniform color. Work quickly because the Amazing Mold Putty will begin to set after several minutes. To keep mold putty from sticking to jewelry or finger nails, you can wear gloves. However, the Amazing Mold Putty is non toxic.

Next press the Amazing Mold Putty onto the front of the piece that you wish to mold. Make sure you cover the complete piece.

Let the piece set up, then demold to show the cameo mold. Lay the piece, mold side up on a flat surface and mix up a little more of the Amazing Mold Putty. This time ,shape the putty into a long noodle piece to completely surround your item. Attach the noodle to the existing edge of the Amazing Mold Putty on the front of your plaque. Let set.

Mix the Plaster of Paris with water according to the directions on your box. Directions may vary by manufacturer. Stir with a wooden stick. Work quickly because the plaster will become warm and start to thicken in a few minutes. Pour the plaster into the mold, filling to the edge of the mold putty.

Bend the wire with pliers and position into the back of the poured plaster. Let your project sit over night, and if your mold is thick, two nights in a warm, dry room. The drying process is hastened if there is air movement over the piece, such as with a fan on low.

If you do not let the piece completely dry, it will break apart when you demold it..... which is just what happened with this one! Uh oh! Oh no!

This one dried for two days. Once taken out of the Amazing Mold Putty, coat with acrylic gel medium. Let dry. Your piece is ready to hang!

I love the white bisque look of plaster. However, you could also paint your piece with assorted acrylic paints or add highlights with a metallic paste. Enjoy experimenting with Amazing Casting Products, such as Amazing Mold Putty in your mixed media projects!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

One day last summer, I seriously bought a box of old Creepy Crawler metal molds! Let's just maybe call it reverting to my childhood days. I really don't know what made me do it.....but I loved playing with those icky things when I was an itty bitty girl, about a hundred years or so ago.

So fast forward to now, and a box of empty metal molds and no goop, per se. Well, while working on some of my other Amazing Crafting Product projects, the light went on. The Amazing Remelt reminded me of those same wiggly, jiggly little creatures from my past. Why not see if the remelt would work in the molds? And, the most excellent part is that no baking is necessary!

So, per package directions, I melted the Remelt, added some sparkle, and poured the molds.......I was giggly. Here are some of my sparkly, little creatures.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Hello fellow crafters and art chix! Lynne here today with a few of my favorite and fun pieces of hardware inspired jewelry using Amazing Casting Products.

On any given day that I might need birdseed or plant food, I will take some extra time to stroll through those hardware store aisles, looking for potential creative props or parts for my next project. Today, I found some of these.....

I mixed half of the pendant molds with clear resin and let dry. Then came back and added a bit of colored resin or a few colored dots of resin and let dry. It took a bit of dry time to achieve the layered look, but I love how it turned out. In the end, I drilled some holes and added the beads and chain.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Hi all. Lynne Suprock here again for a February Amazing Crafting Products Design Team tutorial. 'Tis the month where chocolate is in the hearts and on the minds of most Valentine Day traditionalists. Today I want to share a cool way to celebrate the holiday with friends, taste testing chocolate of course!

I began by opening a box from one of my favorite chocolatiers and selecting a few pieces to set aside as samples to be later eaten. Then I used the empty box inserts to make replicas of the select pieces, only using my own chocolate concoctions to do it. Mwa-hahaha. Everyone gets to sample all of the chocolates and then see if they could guess the pieces that were the real deal. Lot's of fun!

In the second half of the video, I combine using Remelt and Mold Putty to make a signature chocolate heart piece, as good to look at as it is to eat. Enjoy the tutorials!